Dark Blood
by 8cheshirekat
Summary: [JethroAbby] Abby's male coworkers are in danger and someone really wants Gibbs to love Abby.... R&R, please!
1. Shoot Me Down

(Jethro/Abby) Abby has a new stalker, but he's out to kill all her co-workers instead of her! And all of the targets are males, not a single woman is being targeted. It's up to Gibbs, DiNozzo, and McGee to stay alive long enough to figure out who's been attacking the male's who've come in contact with Abby in her entire career! It'll take will-power, brain-power and a lot of know-how to stop a killer who is always one or two steps ahead of them.

---Abby's lab---

She was sitting down reading her magazine while she waited for the fingerprints to run through to get a man who'd been accused of murdering three young teenaged girls who'd been the daughters of three marines serving over-seas. She was just reading about a couple, an older man and a younger woman had just gotten married and had a fancy, beautiful wedding and had been so in love with each other and were definatly enjoying themselves. She had just finished reading it when the fingerprints rang in.

Abby looked up and nearly dropped her magazine. The finger prints matched a man who'd been accused of not only muruder but blasphemy, bartery, and harassment on more than one account, especially the bartery to his children, wife, and lovers. Abby quickly stood up and turned around and crashed into Gibbs, who'd been carrying her caf-pow and his coffee and she quickly stilled his shaking hands before anything spilled over him.

She smiled at him and saw the look in his eyes said that he wasn't to happy about any of this. "Gibbs, this guy's records are WAY to coinsidental that he may have killed these girls, and his records state that he may be very, very possesive of his 'property'. He's been charged with blasphemy, murder, harassment, and bartery to friends, family, lovers, children, it's almost as if he's been trying to prove that no one's allowed to be with his family or children or--"

"Abs?"

"Not that it's a bad thing to be possesive over your children! I'm just saying that--"

"Abby!"

"Yes?"

"Here." He gave her the caf-pow.

"Thanks. Anyways, this guy's name is Yvonchi Grunch. Yvonchi Grunch had three wives, fourteen lovers, twenty children, and only one or two friends since high school. I think his next target would be anyone who does forensics, mostly because he'd rather not have competition for his 'job title'."

"Abs?"

"Yes, Gibbs?"

He kissed her cheek. "Good job. Now get me Ducky. I need to ask him about the body."

"Okie-dokie, Gibbsy!" She quickly hit the on switch. "Ducky! Ducky! Ducky!! Gibbsy wants to talk to you!"

Ducky appeared on the monitor. "Ah! Abigail has arrived! Where is Jethro?"

"Here, Ducky. Did the man who came in have any color left in his eyes? The blood wasn't completely drained from him, so I'd like to know if there's still color in his eyes, Duck."

"Right! I was just checking that. There is still some color in his eyes. He had very nice blue eyes, Jethro. It kind of reminds me of the time when we met that red head with the deep blue eyes in Mexico, Jeth--"

"Thanks, Ducky." Gibbs left.

"--ro..."

"I'd like to hear the rest of this!" Abby said happily as she rested her elbows on the titanium steel table.

All to suddenly, a bullet was fired right through the glass and collided with the table as Abby hit the deck. She sat up and saw the camera lying down right next to her, still fizzing from the disconnection. She turned around and saw the bullet hole in the glass and gasped. Again, a bullet came at her and she ducked as it grazed her raised left arm and she quickly crawled almost out of sight and saw another bullet whizz in and slamm into the concrete right in front of her and she quickly backed up and pretty much pressed herself against the opposite wall near the freezers. Who would be firing at her in broad daylight like this?

She quietly slipped into her office and tried to dial up Gibbs but she felt a bullet hit her shoulder and she passed out after banging her head on the wall behind her desk and she heard nothing but the soft pounding of her racing heart.


	2. Dead Walking Traitor

---the elevator---

Ducky had just informed Gibbs and Tony about the sudden gun-fire in Abby's lab and they were going down to investigate. Gibbs got out of the elevator first and slowly walked towards Abby's lab, careful not to come to close to the door at first, which was closed at the moment, and he slowly began to turn the knob when they heard something hit the door and he almost jumped back. Tony got out his gun, as did McGee, who'd come down the stairs, since he'd been moping on the stairs because Abby had thrown him out of her lab for being so obnoxious and he and Tony signalled that they had Gibbs' back.

Gibbs opened the door slowly and saw a bullet hole in the door and looked. Abby was lying on her back in a pool of blood and she was being protected by the Director... to a suprised group of people, the Director was holding her own against a sniper who was probably miles away from her and Abby. "Jethro!" she called.

"Director Sheppord?" Tony asked in shock. There was a bang and the glass shattered all over the floor. Ducky opened the emergancy stairs door and stood there watching as the director returned fire with her hand gun before she went down and checked Abby's pulse again as Ducky came rushing over to hide under the desk along with the Director and began to help Abby maintain herself. Tony ran in, dodging bullets as he went and slid down next to Abby, kind of on perpous and kind of accidental. "How's she doing, doc?"

"She's alive, but her pulse is dropping. Tony, give me a hand!" Ducky said quickly.

Gibbs managed to slip in with McGee hot on his tail and the two of them made fort on two opposite sides of the lab and opened fire on the sniper. Gibbs looked over his shoulder and saw Abby was in trouble because Ducky and Tony were trying to make a quick get-away down to Autopsy and he sprinted over and covered them as he went down with them to the Autopsy room, helping carry Abby.

Tony pretty much blew the door down, since they were in a hurry and Ducky quickly grabbed up some cloth and began to clog up Abby's bullet wound as Tony and Gibbs began to gather up gauze and some cloth to help Abby from dying from lack of bleeding.

"Boss?" Tony asked.

"Not now, DiNozzo."

"Boss!!"

"What?!" Gibbs turned around to look at Tony who was pointing at Abby. "She just... just... erm..."

"What is it?" Ducky asked, walking over to look at what Tony was looking at.

"She just... eeh... and then she... ugh..." Tony was trying to describe how Abby got on the floor and how she was able to crawl out of sight under Ducky's desk."...and then she... da da da da da!!"

"DiNozzo?"

"Yeah, boss?"

SMACK!!

"Abby? Abs?"

She was lying there, currling up.

Gibbs reached down and slowly pulled Abby out from under the table. He looked like he was dragging a child out of their room when they'd rather be sleeping and he hauled her up onto the table and put her down to rest her tired limbs, as if he was asking her to take a nap rather than run scared from her fears. "DiNozzo! Call 911! Abby needs help and fast!"

"I'm sorry, I won't allow that," came a familiar voice. When the trio looked they saw her. Her crooked, evil smile, her gun barrel, her eyes filled with hate. Kate Todd stood there, ready to shoot them.


	3. Chick Fight

---Autopsy---

"Kate?"

"Oh, yeah, it's me, Gibbs."

Abby suddenly sat bolt up and rolled off the table again and this time, no one heard her move. Kate fired at the Autopsy table and it tipped over and they heard it crash to the floor, nothing in between. Kate smiled.

"Kate!" Tony yelled, throwing his arms up to stop Kate from firing again. "Kate, this is insane!"

"Yes, it is!" Came Ziva's voice. She kicked Kate down, taking no time to wait for Kate as she kicked away Kate's gun and pointed her own at Kate, pulling the trigger slightly as she waited for Kate to say anything... something... and she pulled the trigger and Kate began to bleed again from her shoulder, right below the collar bone. "You really want to test me, imposter?"

"Imoposter? My name is Kate... who said my last name was Todd, Ziva David!" She kicked at Ziva, who countered with a punch to the knee joint, knocking down Kate. "I want revenge on that slut of a Goth for hurting my cousins beloved Gibbs!"

"Oh! Proves it! Kate was in love with you, boss!" Tony said.

Gibbs glared at him and dialed 911 on the Autopsy phone.

"Nevermind, boss. Kate! Stop this!"

"No!" She kicked him out of the way as she and Ziva went at it, punching, kicking, thrashing each other around, and pulling each other's hair. Ziva yanked hard on Kate's hair and a few strands came loose and fell around Kate as Kate reached up and scratched Ziva across the face, to which she countered with a good head-lock as she strangled Kate, twisting herself around Kate so she could crush Kate if Kate moved the wrong way, and Kate countered with a sharp thrust of her elbow into Ziva's guts and Ziva was thrown back, but she recovered and was about to smack Kate when a boot came in contact with Kate's face and sent the woman reeling back. "WHAT?!"

Abby stood there, holding something that looked like a bag of blood that was still dripping. "So, I guess my twin does come in handy... Andrew!!" She called as Kate and Ziva were recovering.

The Autopsy table shifted and a guy crawled out from under there, pulling off hair extensions. He looked identical to Abby and he smiled up at Ducky. "Hi." He waved.

Kate charged Abby, who spun around to get momentum and knocked Kate down in one fell sweep of her leg, with it's heavy, steel-toed boot, which knocked a few of Kate's teeth out and sent her flying against a wall and she pretty much broke her nose as she spun around and crashed face-first into the wall. She stood up. "So, you have a twin brother, do you, Scuito?"

"Yeah..." Abby smiled brightly. "He was able to switch with me right before I got shot... I hid behind the freezer until it was clear... and I just bid my time until you decided to go after Ducky and Gibbs and Tony... I wonder why Kate never said she had a twin cousin... curious!" Abby cartwheeled out of Kate's bullet and slid down next to her brother. "You okay, bro?"

"Yes, I'm fine, sis." He smiled. "I'll just wait until she goes away before I expose myself"

"Okie-dokie!" She quickly slipped to her feet and just walked to the emergency doors to her lab and looked out the door and saw McGee's feet as he came donw the stairs and she quickly pulled her head back in and again, dodged every bullet Kate shot at her until Kate had no bullets. "KATE!!" She charged Kate and pinned the girl down against the wall as she looked this Kate in the eye. "You dare immitate someone we adored?"

"You dare take Gibbs?!"

"I didn't take Gibbs!"

"Then why does he trust you so much?!"

"Gibbs--! Hey! He trust Ducky just as much!"

"No he doesn't!"

"Are you suggesting he's in love with me?!"

"No! I'm suggesting he's obsessed with you!"

"Kate?"

"WHAT?!"

"You're going to die a horrible death, remember. It's good tranning, and you'll enjoy it more if you keep the facts in mind. Take your dying with some seriousness, however. Laughing on the way to your execution is not generally understood by less advnced life-forms, and they'll call you crazy..."

"What does that have to do with this argument?"

"You're afraid of dying, Kate."

"Get off of me, you freak!"

Abby's nerve snapped. "What makes you think I'd take pitty on someone I don't think is worth my time?! What makes you think I'd even spend some time of my life to help someone like you when your don't even like what I'm saying to you?! Why should I go easy on ou?! Why should I take my time and mope around with you?! What makes you think I _should_ take you and make you one of the many people I would aquaint myself with?!" Abby's hand came up and came down faster than lightning and she had smacked Kate across the face and it happened again, only this time it was a fist and she came down again, again, again, and again...

Kate was bleeding from the mouth now. She started laughing when Abby's hand began to shake. "You won't kill me will you?"

"Why is he attacking only those who came in contact with me?!"

"He's only targetting men who've come in contact with you, Abigail Scuito."

"Why?!"

"Because he's madly in love with you! More so than others!"

Abby's eyes widdened and she got off of Kate as Gibbs grabbed some towles and began to wipe up Kate's face and help her from bleeding to much.

'_That's right... Gibbs must be in love with Kate..._'

Abby ran off, Andrew soon followed, desperate to keep his sister where it was safe, and Tony came hot on Andrew's heels whie Ducky and Gibbs helped Kate.

Kate smiled up at them. "You precious Abby is about to dissappear, Jethro... Don't you want Abby to see the light for just one more day so she can be a part of your life permanantly?"

Gibbs' eyes widened and he suddenly took off after Abby.


	4. Lovely Coinsidence

in the chapter "Dead Walking Traitor" i meant to type "lack of blood clotting" in place of "rapid bleeding", so, i'm sorry it messed you up for a bit... and i'm also sorry Kate was dragged into this, but she's not going to get killed... again... because she's going to be doing a double-take and actually be there to help... GAH!!! i can't say anymore because it'll ruin the whole thing!... -cough- back to the story

* * *

Gibbs had slid around the corner and slammed right into Palmer, who was running back to the Autopsy lab carrying a box, and took off after the heel of Abby's foot and stopped when he saw the weird twin again. "Who are you?"

"Me?" he asked, confused. "Oh! I'm Andrew! No, I'm not staying here... bye!" He said as he ran down the stairs, sliding on the rail, to the parking lot.

Gibbs shook his head and suddenly remembered that Abby was in danger and took off, sprinting down the halls and froze as he came around the corner.

Jenny and Abby were both being held captive, Abby had a gun pointed to the side of her head and Jenny had a knife pressed to her neck. Gibbs saw Abby was on the verge of crying and felt that burning impulse to run forward and hold Abby in his arms, holding tightly to her like he always did when she felt bad... like now.

"Stay there! Who told you to come and get her?!" said one of four men, the one holding Jenny captive.

"Kate."

"Kate? We have a Kate in our team?" asked the one holding Abby. He suddenly pointed the gun directly at the back of Abby's knee and pulled the trigger. Now she bled openly from there, screaming in pain and collapsing. "Tell the truth!"

Gibbs sighed and made up a no-nonsense lie. "I just went with my gut."

Jenny rolled her eyes. '_Typical Gibbs..._'

Abby was curled up on the ground, holding the back of her knee as Gibbs watched, a million thoughts running through his head. '_C'mon, Gibbs! Think! Abby won't be fine if we have to cut her leg off and if you don't do anything, she might be fine, but if you just stand here, there's a good chance she'll die!_' An idea hit Gibbs the same moment McGee ran into him. "McGee, be my lacky for a moment," Gibbs muttered to the MIT grad.

"Sure thing," McGee said and aloud he spoke quickly. "I'm so sorry, boss! I just... is that Abby?"

"Gimme your gun."

"What?!"

"Give me."

"I... yes, boss!" McGee handed Gibbs the gun, but there was a hand grenade hidden behind it, where only Gibbs could see it.

There was another bang and Abby screamed, but the bullet didn't come from Gibbs nor did it come from the masked men, it came from McGee. They pointed the gun at Abby again and Gibbs pulled the plug on the grenade and charged the guy, knocking him down and throwing the grenade into his vest before Ziva and McGee gunned down the man holding Jenny and Gibbs grabbed her and hit the deck. Abby was dragged past by Ziva and the explosion went off and sent glass and wood chips and derbs flying every-which-way and a pieces of glass got Abby right in the arm and Abby fell into an unconious state, her eyes rolled back into her head, her body growing pale.

Gibbs detatched from Jenny and scuttled over to check on Abby. He yanked the pieces of glass out of Abby's arm and heard the ambulance sirens right outside the broken windows and he felt Abby's hand subconsiously grab his arm, as if begging him not to go, not to leave her on the floor, not to abandon her. He didn't budge for a moment, his eyes fixed on that young face and he smiled softly and leaned down and kissed Abby's forhead.

"Do you think we should tell him?" Ziva asked McGee.

"Nah... I think he already knows."

"McGee, Ziva... I don't think he knows," DiNozzo butted in.

Gibbs looked up at them as Jenny came to stand beside Ziva. "Tell me what?"

"The Director will tell you!"

Jenny glared at the trio and then looked down at Gibbs. "That was Kate's 'entity', or 'spirit'... she was trying to stall us for time so we wouldn't let Abby get hurt..."

"So that wasn't really her?"

"No. And that young man, Andrew, was also an entity. He's Abby's other half, the one she has conversations with, the phobic side of her, the part of her that sounds crazy." Jenny smiled. "I know it's a lot to take in, but, once you understand you'll know."

The paramedics came running in, Ducky in front, and started to tend to Abby as Gibbs was pretty much dragged along because Abby refused to let go of Gibbs' sleeve. Ducky smiled and told the paramedics to let Gibbs come along for the ride to the hospital, or until Abby decided she'd dragged Gibbs far enough and would just let him go just as subconsiously she had grabbed him.

In the back of the ambulance, Gibbs heard Abby whispering his name.

"Jethro, don't... go... away, please."

Gibbs leaned down and whispered in Abby's ear; "I won't go until your ready to go."

The heart monitor began to beep less often the moment they were close to the hospital and her breathing became shallow.

'_Abby, don't leave just yet. I sitll have so much to say and so many things I want to do with you. If you die now, I'll never know how powerful your love is._' He was dragged into the hospital.


	5. Think Like a Stalker

---Abby's hospital room---

She was listed in critical condition and had been in the ER for more than four hours and almost died a few times... but she still remaind alive, clinging to Gibbs' watch for dear life, as if she was trying to hold onto something she wasn't able to reach. Despite distance, the far emotional distance between her and the watch's owner. When she was finally placed outside the ER, she was sitll unconsious and she was still getting blood transfered into her as it was being lost out of her wounds. The doctors had been in four times in the past hour that Gibbs and the others had remained there by her side to change her bandages.

Gibbs suddenly felt Abby's hand twitch and heard a soft groan from her lips. At that moment, DiNozzo shot out of his seat and almost knocked Ziva over in the process as McGee and Jenny came to stand behind Gibbs. Everyone watching Abby carefully, and Ducky and a young man came in, both were out of breath, like they had been running the whole way and Ducky smiled softly. Abby shifted and she suddenly gasped when she felt the pain in the arm she was trying to use to get up with and suddenly looked around her, her eyes trying to figure out what all the fuzzy faces that were and then she felt Gibbs gently stroke her hand. She quietly looked up with foggy eyes, but could see that distinct face become clearer and clearer and she suddenly gasped out of shock and quickly tried to shake off the pain. She gave her faint smile as Gibbs' hands slowly let go of her's.

She refused to let go of his index finger as he tried to pull away. Abby's eyes began to water and she gently tugged, just like she used to, and she tugged again when he tried to pull away again, and again, and again... she still didn't let go... holding onto him, hoping he wouldn't let go, hoping that she was really in a dream and that reality wouldn't be as harsh and would actually be reality.

Gibbs finally gave in as DiNozzo and the others cleared out, DiNozzo bringing up the rear and closing the door behind him. Gibbs sat there and reached down with his free hand and grabbed Abby's shaking hands, holding them quietly against his chest as he gently ran his fingers through her hair. She still held her eyes closed, tears falling to stain her black hair with shimmering beads. Gibbs smiled as Abby quietly opened her eyes again to his face and she quietly smiled back. Gibbs leaned down and gently burshed a kiss along Abby's forehead before he slowly got up and slowly let go of her hand as he walked away.

Abby's grip slipped and his hand left hers and she lay there for a moment or two with her hand still out there before she clenched it into a fist and held it to her heart as she still held on to Gibbs' watch, feeling the warm metal in her hand, and she quietly slipped back to sleep. Back to her dream land where she could dream her own dreams again.

---Abby's lab---

Gibbs walked the perimiter of her lab and then her office and then the balistics lab and then back to her office and back to her lab. He couldn't figure out why he felt so lost when Abby wasn't in her lab. He kept brushing his fingers along the edge of her desk every time he passed it on his way to the balistics lab... then everytime he passed it on his way to the main lab again.

He was coming back, making his usual rounds when he saw something out of the corner of his eye, Kate. She was sitting on Abby's desk, waiting for Gibbs and she was quietly rocking back and forth... waiting patiently as Gibbs walked around Abby's lab again. He walked right past Kate and sat down on the other side of Kate, resting his feet on the ground and simply leaned there. "What?"

"You know that Abby really does adore you and she really wants you to be there when she wakes up from the coma she just entered, right?"

Gibbs nearly fell off the table. "I'm actually more conserned with who fired at Abby in the first place and why they turned their gun on us."

"Did it ever occur to you to think like a stalker and see what part of Abby is so attractive? Or to figure out how you would try to get her attention when she doesn't notice you, such as in Mikel's case?" Kate asked as she hopped off of Abby's desk and quickly walked to stand before Gibbs. "Get some real help from a guy who knows how to stalk a girl like Abby, Jethro, you'll get farther."

"Mikel Mawher!" Gibbs got up and made a bee-line for the door, his heart racing as he thought of how he'd get Mikel Mawher to help him in the case of Abby if he was in love with the girl so much... '_I'm going to help you, Abby, as much as I can, I promise you that._' He turned around to thank Kate and she was gone. '_Well, can't blame her for just up and leaving._'


	6. McGee and Sam

-cough- Harry Potter is copywrighted to JK Rowling, so no, i don't own it... if i did, i'd be rich and would have a cell phone now! and a car and some other things... -looks around- anyhow, back to the story!

* * *

---Abby's hospital room---

McGee was reading to Abby. He was reading one of the many books she kept in her desk, Harry Potter... why she had it, no one knew, but McGee felt bad, so he read to Abby everytime he came, reading two chapters a visit. He had just finished reading to her Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire when he heard the door open. He turned and saw that same young man Ducky had come in with a few weeks earlier.

He was a very young looking gentleman with bright blue eyes and sandy brown hair with slightly tanned skin. He smiled at McGee. "Hello."

"Do I know you?" McGee asked, standing up to face the newcomer.

"No, not really. My name is Samuel, Sam, if you don't mind." He shook McGee's hand. "I'm a newbie at this kind of thing. I'm Ducky's new assistant when Palmer takes off."

"Well, nice to meet you, Sam." McGee smiled.

There was a sudden BANG! that resonated through the hospital room and McGee was slammed through the glass, blood starting to pool around where he landed. Sam looked and suddenly ducked as another bullet barely missed the top of his head. He crawled over to see if McGee was okay and found his heart was starting to fail. "Doctor! Doctor! Nurse! Someone!"

Three doctors and several more nurses came rushing over to help McGee. Sam stood up and looked at Abby's bed and almost fell back down.

Her eyes were open and she was looking at him. Her eyes looked creepy when her pupils had shrunk to about the size of a pin and her face was so pale and she had no make-up on.

---McGee's hospital room---

Gibbs stood there, in the door, and stared down at McGee's bed. Sam was in the next room being checked for any wounds with Ducky. DiNozzo was pacing around near the window as the sun began to set just beyond the cityscape. The room was painted red and orange.

Abby's room remained empty and she was sleeping again. Gibbs decided to leave, going to Abby's room to check up on her. They were still fixing up the crime scene. Gibbs tried not to tread on other people's work, since his team wasn't allowed to take this crime scene. He came to stand beside Abby's bed, careful not to touch her or the bed, since they were part of the crime scene. He put on a pair of gloves before he leaned over to pick up a bloody book on the side of her bed. "Harry Potter?" he asked himself. "Did someone read this to you, Abby?" he asked her, quietly. He put the bagged book back down and looked at Abby's quiet face and saw the tear that hadn't quite fallen off her face. "Abby, your going to be okay, trust me."

"Wow! I didn't think a sniper could throw someone through a window!" came that strange voice Gibbs really didn't want to hear.

"Hello, Mikel."

"Gibbs! You still gonna shoot me?"

"When you harass Abby again. Mikel, what part of Abby made you still love her, even after she had a restraining order placed on you?"

"So, that's what this is about! More interrogations..."

"No."

"You want to watch me suffer?"

"No."

"One of your men is trying to kill her?"

"What makes you say that?!"

"DiNozzo's a creep..."

"Yeah, he get's that alot."

Abby shifted slightly in her sleep and knocked the book off the bed. Mikel watched it fall and suddenly fell back, sliding as far away as the wall would allow him. "No way! Abby just... gah!" He screwed up his hair trying to think strait. "Gibbs!"

"What?"

"Abby's not really... did she tell you about Andrew?"

Gibbs remained silent.

"Ooh... that means you met him... Andrew died when he was five-years-old, Gibbs. He died when Abby and he were hit by a drunk driver and ever since Abby's been half blind and partially deaf..." Mikel smiled softly and stood up. "Andrew'd often talk to himself when he was alive, but it carried onto Abby when he died." Mikel slowly walked over and slowly picked up the book, careful not to smudge his prints on the bag. "He read to her every day when they were little... she must have told someone..."

Sam came shuffling into the room, his head hung low and he quietly stood next to Mikel as the police took photos of him standing there.

Gibbs decided to ignore Mikel and Sam and looked down at Abby and ran his fingers through her hair, quiet, soft, gentle... everything she was when he first met her...


	7. First Time For Everythng

---Gibbs---

He walked right into the coffee shop in Washington D. C. and went to stand by the counter, waiting for someone to take his order.

A girl wearing a black, studded dog collar, black lipstick, black mascara and eye liner, and black hair tied up in two pig tails came over, wearing the white and black cafe worker's uniform. "Hi! May I take your order?"

"Can I have a table?"

"Sure!" She smiled and lead him to a table by the window. "I'll be right back, all right?"

Gibbs didn't stay long after getting his coffee.

The next day, he came back and saw her again, only this time, a customer was being very difficult with her and she didn't look as happy. He sat at the same table she'd sat him at and saw another waiter standing there shaking his head. When he spotted Gibbs he flagged down the girl. "ABIGAIL!! ABBY! You have a number!"

"Coming!" She said, waving her arm in the air as she tried to get the customer to leave her alone. She finally came over and smiled. "Same thing as last time? Coffee, brandy, and a drop of creme?"

"Sure."

"Good. I'll be right back, sir!" She quicky ran into the back.

Gibbs came in the next day and the next and everyday that she worked there at the exact time she would be getting off.

"What's your name?"

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

"'Jehtro', eh? Parents had a sense of humor!"

"Yes, they did."

She laughed.

Gibbs smiled as he ran his fingers over the ceramic cups surface. "What's your name?"

"Abigail Scuito... but don't call me 'Abigail', call me Abby." She smiled.

"Abigail? Interesting..."

The next day, Gibbs didn't come in and Abby left without seeing him once. As she walked down the street, she remembered that he'd left his cell phone the day before when he'd left. She decided to turn it on and it rang the moment she did. She almost dropped it. "Hello?"

"AH! Good, someone has my phone." Gibbs hung up.

Abby stared at it, the dial-tone coming out at her. "Strange guy, this Gibbs."

She came early the next day and entered the cafe and stopped. Someone was honking their horn at her. She back-tracked and looked over at the parking lot. It was Gibbs. She smiled and went inside to get ready for work. She sighed and sat at Gibbs' table, waiting for him.

"Abby!" He came running over and didn't sit down. "Abby, I need my phone back."

"Okay, but can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Where do you work?"

There was silence as Abby handed the phone to him.

"Okay... I'll just assume your a teacher or a secret service agent..." She got up. "But, I can tell you love your job. I so wish I could be a Forensice Scientist... instead of a waitress and a teacher's aide and a baby sitter all at once..." She sighed deeply and shuffled past Gibbs. "By the way, ten people called you. A guy named Ducky called my house phone and asked me to come in early." She scratched her head as she started to set up the coffee cups on tables nearby.

Gibbs rached out and grabbed her elbow and dragged her out the door and to his car.

"GAH!" She struggled against his grip and almost dented the door to his car. "Kiddnapping! Kiddnapping!" she kept screaming as he forced her into his car. "What do you want from me?!" she pretty much screamed.

"Shh!" Gibbs finally breathed deep. "You knew I loved my job and you never asked me. You knew I was a secret service agent without even a seconds glance... how do you know these things?"

"Well, for starters, you smell like gun powder, so you carry a gun. You never said 'I wish I could have' or 'I wish I would have' and you never seemed to remorse on things you hated... or things about me shooting down the fact that guns should be banned! I take it you were a sniper at some point?

"Oh, yeah?"

"Great... are you hitting on me?"

"What?"

"You must be older than me..."

"That's obvious!"

"Well, excuse me! I just thought you were maybe five years older than me!"

"What makes you think that?!"

"You liked to talk to me!"

Gibbs stared at her, his eyes giving it away but his face remained stern.

"Che. Your mad at me."

'_Am I falling in love again? But she's not a redhead like my last two wives..._' "Yes." He slammed the door shut and walked around the car and got in the driver's seat and started up the car and drove off.

"HEY!"

"Your filling out an application for a forensic scientist at NCIS."

"What?! Naval Criminal Investigation Services?!"

Gibbs was suprised. "You've heard of it before?"

"YES! I've always wanted to work there!"

He shook his head and handed her his cell phone. "Call Doctor Mallard."

"What?"

"Call him and tell him he's got another Autopsy to perform on a new intern."

---Abby's hospital room---

Gibbs was holding her hand and he gave it a quick squeeze. '_How could I forget the rambunctious girl who always gave customers a reason to smile... who would want to stop you from being that person I met so many years ago?_' He smiled down at Abby and felt something inside of him become warm when she shifted again and her face almost looked at him in her sleep.

For a long time, he didn't go anywhere, he didn't budge an inch, he just stayed there, holding Abby's hand, holding onto the only person that could probably make him feel alive. He even stayed with Ducky, who had come to stand beside Abby's bed. Gibbs ignored Ducky and just watched Abby's face in this relaxed state and there was a sudden long beep that interrupted him and he looked up.

Abby's heart had stopped.


	8. Angels and Heros

---McGee/Abby's hospital room---

McGee and Abby were now both in ER. McGee's heart hadn't stopped, but he had slipped into a coma and his body was starting to slip into a sizure-like state. Abby's brain wasn't communicating well with her other bodily functions, such as heart, lungs, or even her own stomache. They were trying desperately to help her brain communiacat with her body and it finally paid off.

Abby and McGee were both in the same room and they were alone. No one was allowed in or out of the room unless they were under strict watch. Abby was being monitored by a nurse who stood there with his clipboard taking notes on Abby's condition and constantly watching her heart monitor.

Sam came over and stood there with Mikel, who'd finally stopped saying weird things. "See, Mikel? She's still alive."

"But I should have known!"

Gibbs glared at Mikel's reflection in the glass and his eyes settled on abby's soft, dream-like face and his heart nearly skipped a beat. Abby was so peaceful, like nothing in the world could ever effect her calm state, even if she was in a state of near-death, she still looked invinsible.

Sam suddenly smacked Mikel across the face and pointed a finger at him. "Listen to me, you! Abby doesn't need your pitty. She doesn't need your tears. She doesn't want them. She wants you to be strong! She wants all of her friends to be strong when she goes away or when she's not there! Why do you think she keeps everything you guys give her?"

"How does Sam know so much about Abby?" Tony asked.

Ziva smiled. "Because he and Abby are temporary roommates, Tony." Ziva turned when she saw movement.

The nurse was suddenly leaning over Abby's bed and had his ear to her lips. Gibbs uncrossed his arms, Tony and Mikel stood up strait, Ziva, Ducky, and Sam moved closer, all eyes were on the nurse. He slowly stood up and looked down at her and then reached over and flicked off the sign's switch. The sign above the room's door turned off. The nurse slowly came out, trying to be quiet and he signalled for Gibbs to come over.

Gibbs didn't waste any time, but he didn't take his eyes off of Abby. "What?"

"She wanted to see you. She asked me if I could let you in and I told her I could." The nurse gave Gibbs a mask and some gloves. "You have to wear the mask. The gloves are optional."

Gibbs tucked the gloves in his front pocket and put the mask on. When he neared Abby's bed he saw it, her eyes were slightly open. "Abby?"

"She's lost her memory." The nurse whispered. "She just asked to see the old guy she saw standing by her bed before she was transfered." He flipped the switch again and the light turned on. The nurse picked up his clipboard from the foot of Abby's bed and scribbled something at the bottom of the sheet and flipped the page.

"Abby?"

She slowly reached up and touched his face. Slowly, her hands traced the contures of his face, his lips, his forehead, his cheeks, his chin. Slowly, she whispered a soft note of a robin's whistle and Gibbs smiled.

---_flashback_---

"No, no, no! Abby!"

"I'm sorry, boss!"

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "My name is _Gibbs_ for the last time, Abby! You have to give a soft whistle, like this." Gibbs cupped his hands to his mouth and gave a soft note. It was sweet, like sugar dancing for the ears to taste and was shimmering rainbows that the ears could see. "Now try it again."

Abby puckered up and let out the notes of a nighting gale's song and she smiled at Gibbs' shocked face. "I guess that'll work then, eh, Gibbs?"

"Sheesh! Now she gets my name right."

---_end_---

Gibbs and the gang were back at NCIS and Jenny looked more than happy to see them. Ducky automatically went down to his lab, not even a second glance back, with sam in tow. Tony and Ziva were now seated at their desks as Gibbs sat at his desk. He noticed something out of the corner of his eye. It was the silver picture frame that held onto Abby and his first picture that Ducky took. They were at an amusment park and Abby was wearing Gibbs' NCIS cap.

He lifted up the frame and saw the intricate butterfly on the top and bottom, both decorated with several gems and some paints. There she was, smiling at him from the other side of the glass, the old Abby, the one who could care less if people thought it was sexual harassment when she hugged her friends...

Ziva suddenly got up and launched herself over her desk and knocked Tony down as a few bullet holes appeared on his desk. "What's going on?! Why are people running around trying to kill us?"

"Notice, the targets are men?" Kate asked, standing by the window. "She only has a mental condition because of the trauma of knowing her friends are in danger." Kate smiled and walked forward. "So, Ziva is really a good listener. Gibbs, Abby wants you right now. Listen to her." Kate smiled and looked at Tony. "Oh, God! Stop looking at me like that, Tony!"

"But your cute in white robes!"

"Their not 'robes', it's called a coat." Kate sighed. "You really don't have a double X, just an X and a triple X."

Ziva looked at Tony and then up at Kate. "That makes two of us."

Gibbs got up and sighed. "Is it that guy we were profiling?"

"With all his strange wierdness, like being overprotective over children."

"Angels and Heros..." Everyone looked at Sam, who gave a meak smile. "Its this song Abby wanted you guys to listen to." He held up the CD he was holding and the title read "Angels and Heros: My Best Friends" "She told me that this was something she really wanted you guys to see." Sam popped the CD into the DVD player and hit "play".

**_We are the poets,  
We are the dreamers,  
We are the soldiers,  
We are the screamers,  
We are the fallen,  
Who rise again..._**

The screen faded in from a moment in time when Abby and Gerald had been making fun of each other and enjoying it, just for the heck of it. There was Kate and Tony picking on each other and then it was Ziva and McGee turning to smile at the camera.

**_We are the lovers,  
We are the sinics,  
With the hours,  
We are the minutes,  
We are all friends in the end..._**

The screen became Gibbs and Kate and Tony coming back from a case. Then it was Palmer and Lee making faces at the camera. Then it was Ducky and Palmer playing rock-paper-sicors while they waited for a body to come in.

**_So why do you lie,  
If you don't follow,  
Your every dream,  
Reach up to Heaven,  
And stand for what you believe..._**

Gibbs was sleeping, as was Tony and Kate had just walked in. Gibbs was working on his boat and he was viewed from the top of the stairs, as if trying to hide from him. McGee was sleeping in Abby's lab, quietly snoring on the desk.

**_We don't need wings to be angels,  
We don't need reasons to be right,  
Your love makes this all better,  
That's who we really are,  
Angels and heros at heart..._**

Gibbs and the gang stared at the screen as it faded to black. It took a few moments, but the next track came up, it was Abby. Ducky had just come into the small office area when Abby began talking.

"HI! Dunno if you guys are going to get this any time soon! The movie isn't finished yet, sorry if you guys viewed it when it wasn't finished. I know that you guys are viewing this because Yvonchi Grunch is out to get me... and he's probably got me lying down, either six feet under or in a bed with some sort of condition. I found something you guys should know about Yvonchi Grunch. He's not only a convicted murder and loves to torture, he also knows how to knock down targets faster than anyone says 'merry-go-round' and can say it backwards... I left a clue as to where he'll be next in my lab... Ducky'll know where! Bye-bye!" She waved and there was snow before it replayed the short video that wasn't finished.

Ducky smiled. "Yes, I do."

There was a bang and Sam stopped moving and slowly fell to his knees before he fell, face-first, on the ground. He lay there for a moment or two before he was able to get up again, quiet and soft, and smiled. "Don't worry." He showed them his shoulder. There was a scrape just deep enough to graze his flesh to make him bleed. "It sent me into a nervous shock and--"

There was another loud bang and the glass behind Sam shattered and Gibbs felt the bullet smack him in the shoulder, right where Ari's bullet had hit and he fell.


	9. Blue Skies, Dark Hearts

---Hospital---

Gibbs had been released and was just fine, it had missed anything vital, such as his joint. He sighed. For just a moment, he thought he'd join Abby in the hospital, a permanent resident until she was able to be released. Gibbs found that he _wanted_ to be here with Abby, even if she didn't remember him.

He had found out that this new guy, Sam, had been pretending to be that guy, Andrew, and that he was a grad of a medical collage as a genius. Sam had also spent some time at MIT before NCIS hired him as Ducky and Abby's new assistant. He had also found that Abby remembered his name, but that was it. She still didn't know who she was or where she worked or anything like that.

When he walked out to DiNozzo's car, he saw a guy with light blond hair and dark green eyes wearing a denim jacket, cargo pants, and tennis shoes standing by the doors with his right hand in his pocket. Gibbs stared at him for a moment and then walked away, thinking he was just hallusinating.

BANG!

DiNozzo fell beside Gibbs with a bullet hole on his back, just beyond his spine and it was pretty deep, blood spilling all over the place. Gibbs saw a nurse who was heading in to work and two doctors who were just leaving come running to Tony's aide as the agent began to pass out. Gibbs stood up and saw the blond smile and walk away. He pulled out DiNozzo's gun and pointed it at the blonde's back and stopped. This guy's smoking gun was in the trash can, meaning it could have been him or one of the two doctors. Gibbs lowered his weapon and looked down at DiNozzo before they took him into the hospital.

"That makes two of us," Gibbs whispered to no one and he saw Kate's hand come over his shoulder and pat him on the cheek. "What can I help you with?"

"I lied."

"What?" Gibbs turned around and faced Kate. "What do you mean 'I lied'?"

"I lied," Kate said with a shrug. "Yvonchi wants Abby as his wife. The others were just test subjects. He wants Abby's hand in marriage." Kate smiled. "I'm sure you've thought of Abby the _exact_ same way, Gibbs. I know she's more than 'just a friend' in your book. Besides, you guys have known each other for a long time, even before I came into the picture with DiNozzo and McGee... Ducky was already there, right?"

"Yes." Gibbs started walking towards the NCIS building, four miles away from the hospital. "Ducky and I have known each other a while now." Gibbs kept walking, thinking. "If Abby did get married to me, I wouldn't ask her to work."

"I know how you feel about dating your co-workers. Abby's a superior in knowledge, Gibbs."

Gibbs stopped and looked at Kate who stopped and smiled. "_That_ was something DiNozzo would say."

"Abby has gotten offered marriages before, Gibbs. You saying 'Abby, will you marry me' doesn't really suprise her. But it's you, Gibbs!"

"Are you trying to tell me something?"

"Nope."

"Gonna tell me to butt out?"

"Nope."

"Want me to go away now?"

"If you'd like." Gibbs turned away and started walking when Kate called after him.

"Then you should read some books to Abby, Gibbs! She likes to be read to! Especially if she's really excited about it! And she likes romance and fantasy novels!"

Gibbs turned around and Kate was gone. He stood there for a while, cars going by on the street, people bustling about in the stores nearby, life moving on. Gibbs looked up and he could see the clear blue skies and he thought of something Abby once told him...

---_flashback_---

"GIBBS!" She came out of no where and bowled him over, hugging him. "Good morning!"

"I'm glad I wasn't holding my coffee, Abigail."

She looked down-hearted for a moment and then pointed out the window. "The skies all blue outside! Ducky wants to take us out on a picnic for lunch!"

A few hours later, Ducky, Gibbs, and Abby were sitting in a park eating lunch when Abby started talking with Ducky. They started out talking about the blue sky down to books and Abby told Ducky that "I love books where you can keep yourselves tuned in to anything that's happening! Weather it be harsh starts with characters or dramatic romances!" and Ducky had said; "I would love to know what you love about sappy novels!"

Abby simply smiled. "I love being read to and read to others, Ducky! It's, in a way, like listening to a wonderful story from an epic story-teller, even if it's a sappy novel!"

---_end_---

Gibbs smiled and walked off, strait back to work. He was going to find Abby's stalker and, this time, he was going to kill that guy... and he was going to do it with love in his heart, not the thought of protecting a co-worker. He was going to love Abby just as she had been and he wasn't ever going to let go of her... unless death took either one away...


	10. Shot

Gibbs could see the night fill with darkness and he could feel the weight coming down on him. He had to save Abby, for the sake of his sanity.

He had just come down the last flight of stairs and stopped. The blonde from earlier was leaning on his car in the NCIS parking lot. He smirked at Gibbs. "Your the last one."

"What?!"

"Sam, Ducky, Palmer... all of 'em are bleeding to death as we speak... and now it's your turn." Yvonchi raised his gun and pointed it at Gibbs. "I want Abby to be all mine."

Gibbs stood there, his cold eyes watching Yvonchi. "Tell me why."

Yvonchi smiled. "I'll tell you why..."

---_Yvonchi_'s "explination"---

He sat there, in his holding cell, watching people go out to prison and only one of twenty-five were actually released, out into the world, at least. He saw her, walking beside Gibbs, her arm slung over his shoulder and a sweet smile on her face. She wore black jeans with chains falling everywhere and a tight black shirt that exposed some of her midriff skin and big black boots.

Yvonchi stood up and watched her pass and he decided she was the girl he was waiting for, the girl he was going to make his own...

---Gibbs---

"You did that all on a whim?!"

"Well, yes and no."

Gibbs shook his head and slowly moved his hand back to his gun. "It takes time to fall in love with Abby. She needs to grow on you before you can love her. She's always had her way with making people understand her before she understood them. Besides," Gibbs smiled "she has a way of getting bored of guys who don't intrest her first."

Yvonchi raised his automatic weapon.

Gibbs fired first, double-tapped Yvonchi through the shoulder blade and then down at his knees, knocking him down and again on his spine, in order to stop him. Gibbs only had a scrape on his hand that left him bleeding. He called 911 and asked for an ambulance.

...He was going to go see Abby and tell her she was free of her pains... if she remembered him... but first, he had to take care of his wounds and then go see her in the morning...


	11. Remember me?

Abby sat up, sweat rolling down her face. She had had a nightmare, one with blood and gore. Two men were standing in a dark room pointing guns at her and they were ready to shoot her and the man she was protecting. The two men labled themselves FBI agents. The man she was protecting was a killer. She had woken to the quite dawn creeping over her bed.

The golden shimmers crawling all over her blankets softly illuminated the room as the gray skies outside began to filter into shades of blue. Abby pulled away from the light and currled up on bed, her arms hugging her knees to her, her forehead pressed against her knees. She was trying so hard to remember who that man was, the one she always looked down at right before she woke.

He had a soft voice and he smelled like sawdust and his hair was a silvery gray. She couldn't remember anything else, like his eye color or his age. She heard her door open and her head snapped up as the smell of sawdust filled her nose. Her eyes widened.

---_flashback_---

"--that is not my fault, Gibbs! It's not my fault. It's not my fault. It's not _my_ fault..." She suddenly realized what he was saying. "It's not my fault. Hmm. I can see why you like to work on your boat, Gibbs. Very, very, cathargic." She brought the hammer down and the chip of wood came flying off. "Oops." She handed Gibbs the "boat-killing weapons". "Suddenly having a stalker on the loose isn't so scary." She looked up at him.

His face became clear, no longer fuzzy. His soft features interrupted only by his sharp, piercing eyes.

---_end_---

"I know you!" she yelled as this strange man walked forward. She pointed at him as he came just short of her fingers. "Your Leroy Jethro Gibbs! NCIS Special Agent! You know sign language, Russian, and a few other languages... and you met me in a coffee shop..."

Gibbs stopped breathing.

"I also remember that I work for NCIS."

"Abby! You remember!"

"Yeah... but I don't remember my full name..." She dropped her head and sighed.

Gibbs sat down on the bed beside Abby. "Your name is Abigail Scuito. You work with me at NCIS as a Forensic Scientist."

"You keep saying that, but am I really?"

Gibbs nodded. He didn't want to say anything about Yvonchi and that he was in the room nearby in critical condition. "Do you want me to trigger it, Abs?"

"That'd be nice..."

"Yvonchi Grunch might be dead in a few hours."

Abby's eyes widened and she saw a callidescope of memories she had. The moments she was sharing with her friends, the moments she shared with the one man she loved, the moments she spent being her...

She suddenly grabbed Gibbs aorund the neck and hugged him tightly. "I remember now, Gibbs..." She held him arms-length away. "How'd you know that'd work?"

"Because you saw two of your friend get shot and one other go passed your window in critical." He smiled.

Jenny stood by the door and smiled to herself. '_The things the President wants them to be can be possible, now that Abby remembers... but I know how she feels! I'd want to forget something like this if my friends were put in danger!_'

Sam and Ducky came over, Sam was pushing Ducky in his wheelchair. The duo were fine, as was McGee, who came limping over with Ziva's help. Tony was still in a coma and, from what everyone could tell, so was Yvonchi. Jenny smiled and they all exchanged hugs of gratitude and many shed tears.


	12. It's Not Over Yet

---Abby's lab---

She was back in buissness after nearly three weeks in the hospital, two of which were spent trying to remember who she was. Abby heard something and turned around and saw Gibbs. She smiled and gave him a short wave before she shut her computer down for the night. When she turned around, she was face-to-face with Gibbs. Her face instantly flushed and she stared him in the eye.

"Leaving?"

"Was... and then I decided to visit with the rest of the gang upstairs..."

"Abby."

"No! I'm not going to go snooping! I just--!"

Gibbs had put a finger on Abby's lips and gave her that soft smile and he gently rubbed his thumb over her lips as he leaned forward. His hot breath made Abby's face flush even brighter and she closed her eyes as he neared her. His lips caressed her's and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him, holding onto her withall his soul. He quietly parted from her and saw her panting slightly from lack of oxygen.

It was hard to believe that three weeks ago, Abby and Gibbs were just friends... and now... they had just frenched each other...

Jenny cleared her throat.

The two quickly parted and stared at Jenny.

"I have something for you two to read."

She held out a letter and showed it to them.

**_Dear Special Agent L. J. Gibbs and Forensic Scientist Abigail Scuito,  
I am pleased to inform you that you are now, officially, married, as of Unites States Law. The Wedding reception will be 9/27 of next year.  
Sincerly,  
President G. W. Bush_**

Abby stared at it and the squealed. Gibbs simply smiled.

A few days later, Tony came plowing through Abby's lab door, walking and in perfect condition, and he smiled at Abby, who had almost dropped a vile of blood. "ABBY!!"

"Tony!"

They gave each other a quick hug.

Tony had some bandages wrapped around his arm. "Did you burn yourself?"

"Nope... I actually got bit by a kid when I was leaving the hospital this morning... why do kids hate me so much, Abby?"

"I dunno... kids really like me, when I have my hair all wierd... where's Gibbs?"

"He's getting coffee with McGeek... why?"

"Because he promised he'd have some Caf-Pow for me..." Abby had just put down her gloves when Gibbs silently walked up behind her and Tony. "Hey, Tony?"

"Yeah, Abby?"

"Do you perfer Gibbs as a boss or a co-worker or a friend?"

"All of the above?"

Gibbs slammed down the Caf-Pow and stood there. "So I'm not a friend and a boss?"

"No! Your all of them!"

"I don't belive you."

Abby giggled. "At least we know Tony's okay, since he was alive... right?"

"Exception!"

"What?"

"I still have to go for regular check-ups until they're possitive I'll be fine..."

Abby and Gibbs stared at him and then took one step away from him as McGee quickly ran out the door and stood in the hall, breathing.

"I'M NOT INFECTED!"

Gibbs cleared his throat. "So, anything yet?"

Abby smiled. "Yvonchi was carrying a vile of blood. Wanna know who's blood it is?"

"Enlighten me."

"Yours." Abby smiled. "Kinda hinky if you ask me. Why would he be carrying around a vile of your blood when he hates your guts because you know me?"

"Don't ask me... but that also brings me to a question for you, Abs."

"As Ducky would say 'I'm not sure I have an answer for you, Jethro'... shoot, I'll see if I can answer it."

"What is my vile of blood doing in a guys pocket?"

"Well, there's a good chance he needs a blood transplant so he was probably looking for the right type of blood to mix with his... now that is REALLY hinky, Gibbsy."

"Gibbsy?!" Tony repeated, staring at Abby. "What?!"

"It's nothing." Abby smiled. "I'm just messing around." She turned to her computer and struck some keys and two DNA samples pulled up on the screen. "You know how DNA gives every being a singluar finger print?" Gibbs and Tony nodded, Tony leaning on the table and watching Abby. "This guy was trying to become another guy and it failed so he started doing expiriments on other guys and that's what this is." She layered them and the DNA almost matched. "Yvonchi was trying to change his DNA so he could impersinate someone." Abby turned around and saw she was alone in her lab and shrugged. "Okay... guess it wasn't that interesting."

"Abs?"

"Yes?"

Gibbs blew her a kiss and walked out. Abby smiled and turned back to her work. A few minutes of working and she heard someone close her lab door. Abby turned around and froze up solid.


	13. Yvonchi Grunch

Abby nearly fell over one way becuase her hand became sweaty and slippery. Yvonchi was standing with the closed door behind him and he was quietly smiling at her, watching her shifting eyes and her shock racing back and forth on her face. "Abby, your so beautiful."

Abby slowly began to move towards her office as Yvonchi came forward, raising his hands to her. "What do you want?"

"Will you come with me? Please?"

She laughed bitterly. "Like I'd want to!" She took off for her desk and managed to dial up Gibbs' cell and hit the speakerphone button before Yvonchi grabbed her arm and turned her aroun. She heard that distinct click and screamed. "LET ME GO! I don't want to marry you!" She struggled against his grip and swung her leg up to kick him in the side but he twisted away and she kicked the wall. "Stop it!"

"Your coming with me, Abby! I want you to be my wife! I want you to be the mother of my children! Please!"

"No!"

"Abby..." He quietly put his lips on her ear and gently kissed her ear and she brought her knee up and got him in the nether reigon and watched him fall before she jumped on him and tried to get over him... which failed.

He twisted around and nailed a good kick right on the top of her rib cage, frezzing her for just a moment. He grabbed her leg and she fell down. He twisted her ankle until it snapped and then he grabbed her arm and turned her around. "I'm going to kiss you to prove to you that I love." He was leaning down when Abby used her spiked ring and nailed him in the eye with a good sucker-punch. "Abby!"

"When you learn to brush our teeth, I'll kiss you." She crawled out from under him and she saw the light for the speakerphone was still red... Gibbs was still listening. She tried to stand and collapsed, crashing head-first into a pile of glass beakers and she felt it slice open her skin. '_Great... and I was just healing..._' She stumbled and managed to get out of her office and lock the door closed. She breathed for a moment and dragged herself to the door. '_Just a little furthur..._'

CRASH!

The glass shattered on her office door and she froze again as she saw the knob turning on the lab's door. She felt Yvonchi grab her and she passed out because the blood loss got to her head.

---Gibbs---

He threw open the door and saw an empty lab that had a few shattered windows, a blood streak, a broken glass door, and Abby's speakerphone was still on. Gibbs looked down at his phone and his eyes seemed to see something else. He walked into Abby's lab...

BAM!

Gibbs hit the ground, a red mark appearing on the back of his neck. Yvonchi snatched up Gibbs' gun and cell and walked out the front door.


	14. My Lost Shoe

Abby woke to see the breeze blowing through a canopy over the soft bed she was lying in. She sat up and saw the bed sheets fall off of her. A pure white dress made of light cotton trimming and slick silk revealed itself. She was in a king-sized bed with a feather down and fluffy, duck-feather pillows in a room bathed in antiques. She looked around and saw her cloths, freshly washed and she remained ever confused...

Where was she? How'd she gotten there? Was this Gibbs' room? Was this Tony's room? Or Ducky's? Was this a dream and not a room? Why was her head spining so badly? And why did she smell like J-Lo Glow?

The door opened and Abby instantly knew this wasn't a dream. She shrank back into herself and she looked down at her fingers, altering between tapping her index fingers to tapping her thumbs together. She was blank, she didn't know what to do, she was scared, and she had no way of defending herself. Almost as if there was a cue in her brain, her cell phone rang soundly in the silence of the room. She had selected "If Your Not The One" as a ring tone for Gibbs. Abby stared at her cloths, that same blank look, and wondered if she was dreaming for a nightmare around her.

Yvonchi reached out and she didn't flinch or pull away, she simply continued to stare at her cloths. "Gibbs is calling. Do you want to pick up, love?"

She slowly turned and saw her black cell phone beside her face. She stared blankly at Yvonchi. Quick as lightning, she grabbed her cell and flipped it open. "Hello?"

"ABBY!"

She held it arms length away.

"WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"I'm not deaf, Tony... why do you have Gibbs' cell phone?"

Tony coughed. "Gibbs and I are waiting outside the _office_ and need to know, did you lock _your lab_ today?"

Abby's eyes filled with shock and she smiled softly and said; "I _didn't_ lock my lab... because I was _in a bad mood_, Tony... could you lock the door for me?"

Tony gave a short laugh. Forgetting to lower the phone he yelled; "YOU CAN LOCK IT BOSS!"

Abby held the phone out there again and waited until she was sure he wasn't yelling his head off before saying goodbye and turning to Yvonchi, who was gently stroking her hair. "I don't know what to say to you... except, will you stop that."

Yvonchi almost snapped. He recovered, however, and smiled at Abby. He pressed his lips against the back of Abby's neck, right on her tattoo. "No. I like your hair, it's so soft and so beautiful." He smiled against her shoulder as he began to work out there. "Gibbs can't find you here because 'here' doesn't exsist and it's hard to say that you can be found in a place that doesn't exist."

The doorbell rang and Yvonchi smiled as he left Abby on the bed.

"You see, this room's door is hidden so well I sometimes have a hard time finding my way back in." He bowed out and locked the door behind him.

Abby slammed her fist down into the feather down and saw feathers rise up around her and looked under. There wasn't a hole. Abby looked around as the feathers gently blew off to the right and she looked to her left. That soft breeze!

The window was open...

Abby stood up and looked down. The "dress" was actually a tank and shorts. She sighed and saw a pair of shoes, skater shoes, by the window and she quickly slipped into them when she heard Gibbs' voice just beyond the door. '_I wonder..._' She went over and started to tapp on the door with her finger, doing Morse Code. "_Gibbs! I'm over here!_"

Gibbs' voice became softer, but Abby could hear his feet stop right by the wall where the door was. "Is there someone else here?"

"What makes you say that?!" Yvonchi asked. "My parol officer said I wasn't allowed to have anyone here!"

"Well," came Tony's voice, "either Ziva's wearing J-Lo Glow or maybe McGeek is, but I can smell Abby's perfume..."

"Gothic Graveyard Garden..." Ziva said.

McGee suddenly tapped back to Abby through the wall. "_Abby?_"

"Hey!" Yvonchi grabbed McGee's arm. "Stop it! You'll ruin the paint!"

McGee held his hands up. "Sorry! I didn't know... ah... wet paint, I see..."

Abby felt her heart sink when she heard that. She suddenly had another idea and ran to the window. She leaned way out and saw Gibbs' car and saw them walking out to the car and, without thinking twice, she threw one shoe and broke Gibbs' front windsheild. They all looked up and Abby felt a hand around her neck as they watched her. Yvonchi grabbed her around the waist and dragged her back in.

---Gibbs---

He shook his head, thinking it was just his imagination, until he saw the shoe, still clinging to the windsheild. There was a white finger print on it. He yanked it out and saw the inside bore a scrap of paper, neatly folded, and looked up at the open window. Abby definatly knew how to leave a trail so she could be found...

He looked down at the shoe again and sighed. '_Abby, I'll never understand these strange things you do..._'


	15. Abby, Gibbs, Yvonchi

Abby felt the cold concrete of the basment when she was thrown down. She still had on that tank and the shorts as well as only one shoe. She was in a cold basement dressed like it was actually 105 degrees outside... which it wasn't...

Yvonchi grabbed some rope and tied her to a metal bar and she seemed to hang from her wrists as he stuffed a gag into her mouth. He glared at her and left her like that, tears burning down her cold cheeks. He slammed the basement door behind him.

---Tony and McGee---

"What's it say, McGee?!" Tonny asked for the millionth time in the past two hours.

McGee gave Tony a death glare. "Translating quick hand isn't easy, Tony!" He continued to translate scribbles into words. "AHA! I've got the first setence down! Now the rest'll fall into place."

Gibbs rached over McGee's shoulder, scaring Tony enough where he jumped away and fell sideways because he'd hit the chair... his head landed in the trash can...

"Tony?" McGee looked over the edge of his desk. "You okay down there?"

"No... your trash can smells like fresh fruits, McGee... are you sure your not gay?"

"I'm pretty sure if I was, I wouldn't talk to you..." McGee smiled.

"'I'm not okay and there's a secret room here.'" Gibbs read aloud. "You sure your getting this right?"

"Yes... since I've got the first line down, the rest of it's easy. She mentions bits and pieces of the house, the smell of cookies right before we left, a room drown in white, a spare closet with the stench of 'dead walking corpses'. She also mentions a ring... and the finger pring isn't Yvonchi's, Yvonchi's parol officer's, nor her's... do you think she may be tortured to--?"

SLAP!

McGee nearly dented his desk. He looked at Gibbs and Ziva and Tony. "I was going to say 'do you think she may be tortured to get information' not 'to death' guys."

Gibbs patted McGee on the head. "Sorry." Gibbs walked away, his coffee cup being discarded in Ziva's trash bin.

"Gibbs--"

"--said--"

"--sorry?"

The three of them watched Gibbs go down the elevator and then at each other.

"You think it has something to do with Abby?" Tony asked.

"Why? Are you jelous?"

"NO!"

"Yeah, he's jelous," Kate whispered to them. They all jumped and Ziva slipped off the edge of McGee's desk and right into Tony, who collided with Sam and Palmer, who crashed into... Fornell...

Palmer and Ziva nearly crashed into each other, getting out of the doggy-pile on Fornell.

"Where's Gibbs?!" Fornell demanded of Ziva, who didn't say anything. He inquired everyone, except Kate. "WHERE THE F--- IS GIBBS?!"

The phone rang on Gibbs' desk. McGee got there before Fornell and answered. "Hello?"

"Where is Special Agent Gibbs?"

"Uh... he just left... I think..."

"Just left meaning what?"

"A while ago... who is this?"

"Yvonchi. Give a message to the FBI agent standing right next to you."

McGee looked and saw Fornell standing on the other side of Gibbs' desk. "Sure."

"Tell him to disarm."

"Yvonchi want's you to disarm yourself, Fornell." Fornell put his gun on the ground and kicked it away.

"Now put me on speakerphone." McGee hit the button. "Good. I want one of you to record this so Gibbs knows. Abby is mine. She belongs to no one else. She belongs to me, body and soul. Anyone who tries to interrupt that will be going to their graves in pieces. Abby will remain with me until we are wed in a few days."

"As if," came Gibbs' voice from behind the wall between him and the faxes and printers. "Abby and I are fiancees, Yvonchi. I know this because the President of the United States gave me that permit." Gibbs walked around his desk and cut through the throng of silent people. "C'mon, Yvonchi, your out of your leauge."

"We'll see about that, Jethro. Abby won't be marrying either of us, then. She won't return to you alive. I'll be the last one to see her, in all her glory and beauty." He slammed the phone down, making them all jump, save for Gibbs, who simply shook his head and hit the speakerphone button.

Gibbs was quiet for a moment, his finger hovering over the button before he clenched a fist and slammed it down on his deks, denting the wood, splints breaking free of the paint, and cursed to himself. His beloved Abby would be dead before they got there if they didn't figure out which room she was in in that huge, three-story house and it's five shacks and three barns. She could have been in any one of those rooms! Any of the shacks out on the ground! Any of the barns scattered around the corals! He ran his hand down his face, trying to rub off the worry and the heartbreak he was feeling. She would make one of the many people who died under his watch.

He turned around and faced the crew. "We're going after Abby."


	16. Tortured and Confused

Abby was cold in the basement, frozen solid, it seemed. Yvonchi had managed to bruise her face a couple of times, bruise her back and her arms and rip her legs open with a whip and now she was freezing. Slowly she managed to adjust herself so she wasn't putting so much weight on her legs and felt the rope holding her up cut into her skin. She wanted to scream, but the warm blood oozing down her arms made her savor the warmth inside of her. The door banged open and she sheilded her eyes from the sudden bright light and she felt the warmth of the house above flood down onto her and then it was gone in a flash, but not Yvonchi.

She heard him picking up something off the ground and when she heard a metalic chain she knew what he had. The metal whip that had ripped open her legs and she felt it hit her back and she screamed through the gag. She saw Gibbs' old cell, the one Yvonchi took and broke, dangled in front of her and she looked at Yvonchi who simply smiled. The whip cracked down on her and her back was ripped open.

"I'm suprised how much you can bleed without passing out," Yvonchi said. "But red looks stunningly beautiful on you, Abby."

He raised his hand and Abby spotted the spike on his hand and that was it, he sliced her across the face, straight through a bruise and right to her lips. She tasted the blood through the gag and felt burning tears on her face. She couldn't feel her attackers blows after that. She had recoiled into a place she knew she was safe, a corner of her dreams she could be in forever. A place where anything she wanted she could have...

---Gibbs, Tony, McGee, Ziva---

Kate hadn't shown her face after Fornell had left to help get his team ready for back-up. Ziva and McGee weren't as worried as Gibbs, but the didn't "care less" like Tony, who knew Gibbs'd find Abby alive and well. They saw it, Yvonchi came out of a cellar on the side of his house, carrying a white cloth that was staining with blood.

Gibbs hit the brakes and he got out. "FREEZE!"

Yvonchi simply smiled at Gibbs and Abby appeared, her eyes blank, her face pale and bruised. She was following Yvonchi, her eyes down-cast and she quietly listened to Yvonchi's words whispered to her and she walked up to them and Yvonchi walked off with the body in his arms. Abby held her arms up and blocked all views of Yvonchi as he walked off into one of the shacks.

Gibbs lowered his gun as he saw the look in Abby's eyes. Distant and depressed and hurt... what did Yvonchi do to her? He put his gun on the top of the car and the others stared at him as he walked forward, his hands where Abby could see them. "Abby?"

She just got defensive and launched herself at him. She fought much better than even Ziva because she had managed to nail him on the ground before McGee or Tony took action to get her away. She kicked high and kicked McGee down before twisting her body behind Gibbs and using him to block Tony's punch. She slowly started to release Gibbs, her face still blank, until she heard Yvonchi call for her.

"Melody!"

She released Gibbs and ran to the shack where Yvonchi was, as if he was the only thing that mattered. Gibbs could feel something familiar inside him, and he got up and took off after Abby. He grabbed her hand before she was able to enter the shack and turned her around. "Your name _isn't_ Melody! It's Abby!"

She didn't give him any expression, she simply stared at him and she quietly waited for him to say something else.

"You're my lover," he whispered. "You promised to marry me, remember?"

---Abby---

She knew that voice. Abby sat up in her field of flowers. She had been lying in them, trying to remember what was going on around her. As she turned to look around the field of flowers around her became a bloody scene before her very eyes. The stream became a raging, storming river of blood and bodies and guns and bodies filled the small patches of flowers and Abby felt someone's hand in her's trying to reach her and she felt that clink of something in her shirt, but when she closed her eyes, she saw that spike coming at her again and she screamed...

---Gibbs---

Abby's scream seemed to draw Yvonchi out. Abby looked so confused and she collapsed, saying something about a spike slicing open her face and hurting her. Gibbs glared up at Yvonchi, since Abby was clinging to the sleeve of his coat. He heard a gun shot and felt the air around him flare into wind and saw a red spot appear on Yvonchi's arm and Gibbs saw it, Yvonchi was about to shoot him in the head. He smiled and looked, it was McGee.

He knelt down and hugged Abby against him and felt her hold onto him, crying, confused, scared. She just held onto him like that, holding onto him as if she had loved him long before they had met at the coffee shop all those years ago. Gibbs stayed with her, like that, holding her, until she finally fell asleep in his arms, holding onto him, holding onto his hand, never leting him go.


	17. Snowy White Wedding

My name is Abigail Scuito. I work for NCIS as a Forensic Scientist. My boyfriend is much older than me, but I still love him. Maybe someday we'll be able to tell our kids we got shot at and survived... unless their deaf or blind and really don't care... I hope that this all bodes over well! Hopefully, I won't have to much to deal with when I grow old, only that my kids will give me gray hairs and that my boyfriend might die before I even get old enough to die with him... ha ha! I'm so lame...

----

Gibbs hadn't come out of Abby's room in the hospital for days, it seemed.

Tony and McGee had to fight Yvonchi when the FBI arrived. Tony had ended up with a bloody lip and part of his shoulder busted and McGee had just ended up with a chipped tooth and a sprained ankle... which Tony kept saying wasn't fair... to which Gibbs simply said "You sissy" before vanishing into Abby's room.

The girl's room was filled with balloons, Gibbs, presents, bears, Gibbs' love, a few boxes of chocolates, and some flowers... and Gibbs... She was in and out of consiousness, as if she was trying to decide what she wanted to do... weather it be sleep and die or live and breathe.

Fornell arrived on the seventh day, when Abby was still down. Outside, snow was falling, coating the world in a blanket of snow that seemed to offer a good omen for Abby's health. He stood by the door watching as Gibbs stood by the window, watching the snow as Abby slept quietly. "What does the snow turn into after it melts?"

"Water?"

"Spring." Gibbs turned to face Fornell. "Abby loves winter and spring because she loves watching the snow melt away to spring." He walked up to Fornell. "Tell me, is Yvonchi under lock and key yet?"

"No. Better."

"So?"

"He's being exicuted as we speak. I had hoped Abby would be awake to see it."

Gibbs turned away and saw Abby's eyes were open and she was watching the shadows on the ceiling. He rushed over and touched Abby's hand as she reached out. "Abby?" he asked quietly, resting his hand on the top of her head. "Abby, are you okay?"

"It's snowing outside." Abby smiled and slowly sat up, holding onto Gibbs' hand. She looked into his eyes, her face flushing slightly from the way he held her hand in his and he quietly kissed her. Abby's face turned a bright shade of red and she quickly closed her eyes and wrapped her free arm around him as he did the same and the two of them kissed while Fornell fell out the door, having seen something he'd rather forget.

---Tony---

He was sitting in his chair all akward when they came into the office. He slid off his chair and hit his head. Ziva laughed and put her stuff down as McGee sat down to turn his computer off. He smiled when Tony got up. "It's time?!" Tony asked, hyper. "Is it?! What time is it, McGee?!"

"It's 18:12, Tony." McGee smiled. "We've got one hour to get there and get ready."

"I can't believe they picked us..." Tony slipped into his jacket as he shut down his computer. He and McGee were wearing suites and ties and Ziva was wearing a white dress with a few flowers and a hidden weapon, just in case. "Ziva looks pretty, doesn't she?"

Ziva threw a cup of hot cofee at Tony, who barely dodged and watched it stain the carpet behind his desk and hissed. "Shall we go, McGee?"

"Sure." McGee grabbed Tony's arm and the three of them walked to the elevator.

Tony drove to a garden area. There was an arch filled with red and white and black roses and there where white benches set up and an isle of white flag stones lay in the very middle, leading up to a white alter with a burst of white that looked like a firework display. The trio got out of Tony's car and quickly arranged themselves and the two "strong" men helped put up the last minute decorations. Tony turned around and almost fell over into the ice statue of an angel praying.

Gibbs had just gotten out of his car. He was dressed in a suite and tie, just like everyone else. He stood there watching the others get the other decorations up. Everyone saw a white limo drive up and that's when Tony really fell. Abby was dressed in a white and red and black Victorian dress with a sash around her shoulders. Gibbs had just left the parking lot and was in one of the tents, checking on the things. Abby quietly started to walk to her tent and get her make-up and veil ready.

Tony smiled as McGee almost ran into him. "The wedding is ON!"

---an hour later---

Abby threw the boquet of red roses high over her head and it landed in the Director's lap. Abby smiled as Gibbs French kissed her again... for the fourth or fifth time since they'd said "I do" twenty minutes ago.

Tony and McGee were standing side-by-side eating BBQ'd chicken while Ziva and Kate stood on the side, glaring at the boys. Kate sighed. "Time for me to head off. Take care of them, Ziva... especially the children." Kate gently patted Ziva on the shoulder and walked over to say her farewell to Gibbs and Abby. When she got close enough, Abby hugged her tight enough to choke her to death. "Abby!" Abby let go. "I just wanted to wish you guys the best of luck. Oh! And I'll be watching over you... so, I'll save Abby again if I have to." Kate winked at Gibbs who smiled his sly laughing smile and turned to Abby and scooped her up and snuck away. Kate smiled. "Well, good luck to you both! And may your days together be brighter than the past year was!" Kate waved.


	18. HAPPILY ever AFTER

Kate was walking back to her grave when she saw Ari. "Hi."

"Hello." He smiled.

She glared.

"You think Gibbs would like it if I watched Tony?"

"Oh, I think he'd care less." Kate sighed. "I still won't get why you decided to be nice to me AFTER you died, Ari Haswari. Honestly! Men are so confusing and stupid." Kate sat down by her grave stone and looked up at the skies. "I know there's a reason I'm still here, but why are you and Gibbs' wife and kid sitll here? Is there a reason I'm missing? Or are you guys just stuck here?"

Kelly smiled and hugged Kate. "I think we're here to keep you company, Kate!"

"Where's your mom?"

"Watching the wedding." Kelly stuck her tounge out at Ari.

Ari smiled and then snatched her away from Kate and flung the girl over his shoulder and walked away, taking huge strides.

Kate smiled and watched them leave. "I just know you'll all be really good at this whole 'let the living live' stuff." She turned around and saw Abby and Gibbs coming up to her grave and her eyes widened. There were wings rising up off Abby's back, spreading out like a wild cat stretching and she saw him. A boy, no older than five, detatch himself from Abby and he shook out his black hair and looked up. His eyes found Kate and he smiled warmly. His smile seemed to illuminate his wings and make him look like a true son of God and he flew over and rested on Kate's grave.

Abby looked up when they came closer and she looked directly at the boy.

"Who are you?!"

"Andrew. Andrew Scuito." He smiled.

"How'd you end up here?"

"Abby and I were hit by a driver years ago. Abby's gotten used to being able to see again and now she can hear from both ears." His body seemed to morph and he became the marine on Air Force One that had died. He shifted again and he was Mikel, dressed in the green jacket and blue jeans. Again and he was just like Abby, goth cloths. It was black jeans that were baggy and had one too many pockets with chains hanging down and a tight black shirt with a skull and cross bones with a net shirt over it with black gloves that were torn to reveal his fingers with black nailpolish on the tips. There was black mascara that came down his face, like he'd smudged it there. His hair was long and tied back in a ponytail and his wings were larger, longer, more angelic than they were before. He gave Kate a reassuring smile before she saw his shadow on the ground.

Gibbs and Abby stopped and watched him, as did Kate, Ari, and Kelly. He hopped off of Kate's grave on the other side and walked over to a grave, taking his time. When he reached that grave, he broke into a run and vanished into the headstone, to everyone. Abby smiled and took the only black rose she had and ran over to the grave and placed it there.

"Was that--?"

"Andrew. He wanted me to put another rose on his grave." Abby put two dozen roses on Kate's grave. "It's a long story why he does that, but I'll have to save it for later." She hugged his arm. "Right now, I wanna go on our Honey Moon."

The sun set that day, covering all the land in a blanket of golden snow and white rose petals. A breeze swept by and petals consumed Kate, Ari, Kelly, and Andrew, who had appeared once more as they watched the happy couple drive away, into the sunset...

* * *

For the sake of argument, I HAD to put a chapter at the end with some Kate moments! I don't wanna leave Kate out! Besides... I hadn't done the wedding and thought it'd be rude if I didn't, so there! And now... -drumroll-

* * *

My name is Abigail Scuito. You can call me Abby or Abs. That's how I ended up being a mother... really... and Jethro and I are a pretty good couple! We argue... but it's about who gets to drive Sami and Suzan to school... twins... that are two...

But that's MY happy ending! This is usually the "Cinderella/Snow White/Disney Princess" moment where they have the curtains closing and they say "And they lived HAPPILY ever AFTER!!!!"... yeah... I like doing the loud "after"... -cough-


End file.
